rainforests…what you need to know - Rainforest Foundation UK

RAINFORESTS…WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Education Pack key Stages 3 and 4
Robyn Cummins/RFUK
The Rainforest Foundation (RFUK) has produced this education pack as supplementary material for
teachers and students wishing to know more about tropical rainforests and the work done by RFUK
to protect these vital and complex ecosystems, as well as the indigenous communities inhabiting
them. It also addresses issues such as habitat destruction, sustainable development and climate
change. The pack has been specifically designed to suit the requirements of the National Curriculum.
Its emphasis on learning across the curriculum will provide students with the unique opportunity to
develop knowledge and skills in other subjects like English, Science, Art and ICT and environmental
education.
The Rainforest Foundation UK hopes that teachers and students will find the pack user-friendly. It
offers the opportunity to experience a variety of learning strategies from working alone to class
activities. Activities will involve conducting research and fieldwork, role-playing and reading. Students
will be able to develop creative writing and speaking skills.
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PURPOSE OF THE PACK
The pack is intended to help students to develop:
• Knowledge of the main characteristics of tropical rainforests.
• Understanding of the complex processes taking place in the rainforest ecosystem.
• Understanding of the importance of protecting rainforests and using them in a
sustainable way.
• Awareness of how their behaviour/action can either help to protect or destroy the
rainforests.
• Appreciation for the values and concerns of indigenous communities living in tropical
rainforests.
• Understanding that maintaining biodiversity in the rainforest is important for people,
wildlife and the planet.
• Knowledge` that human activities can have both positive and negative impact on
rainforest ecosystems.
• Appreciation for the work being done by the Rainforest Foundation UK to save the
tropical rainforests of the world.
• Understanding the link which exists between the topic and other areas of the
curriculum, such as citizenship, ICT, science and environmental education.
• Ability to communicate their knowledge and understanding using geographical
vocabulary in both speech and writing.
• Enquiry skills such as conducting fieldwork.
WHAT’S INSIDE?
What are tropical rainforests?......................................3
Where are rainforests located?....................................3
Why protect rainforests?...............................................4
Strata of tropical rainforests…………………………..…..….7
Rainforest destruction…………………………………..……....9
About the Rainforest Foundation UK…………..….........14
Rainforest Foundation UK at work case studies….…….15
Twenty things you need to know about rainforests…19
Teaching and learning activities………………………..….20
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WHAT ARE TROPICAL RAINFORESTS?
Tropical rainforests are very dense, warm, wet forests. They are
abundant with many species of wildlife and vegetation. Today
rainforests cover about 6% of the Earth’s land surface. They are the
habitat to some 50-70% of all life forms on our planet. Rainforests
contain the most productive and the most complex ecosystems on
earth. The plants of the rainforests generate contribute to the Earth’s
oxygen. These plants are also useful to people in that they can be used
in new drugs that may cure many of the world’s deadly diseases.
WHERE ARE RAINFORESTS LOCATED?
Rainforests lie in the tropics, mostly in the area between the Tropic of
Cancer (23.5◦ N Latitude) and the Tropic of Capricorn (23.5◦ S latitude).
This band covers an area about 4800 km wide. Due to their location,
rainforests receive a lot of sunlight and an abundance of rainfall, about
400 to 1000 cm of rain each year. This creates the ideal conditions
for rapid vegetation growth. The wide range of plants encourages a
huge variety of insects, birds and animals.
Rainforests cover 6% of the Earth’s
surface. Simon Counsell/RFUK
The largest rainforests are found in:
1. Brazil (South America)
2. Congo Basin (Central Africa)
3. Indonesia (Southeast Asia)
4. In Hawaii, the Islands of the Pacific, Caribbean and the Indian Ocean ( particularly in
Madagascar)
5. Australia
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WHY PROTECT RAINFORESTS?
Preserving rainforests is of enormous benefit to humankind.
Rainforests are:
• home to 50 million indigenous peoples,
• a habitat for millions of species of plants and animals,
• stabilising the world’s climate,
• a source of medicines and foods,
• and a source of other forest products
HOME TO INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
Rainforests needs to be preserved not only for us and future generations. As well as being
the home for countless species of animals and plants, the rainforest is also the home of
many indigenous peoples. They have been living there for centuries and through time have
developed the knowledge and skills needed to survive sustainably in this environment. Their
cultures and languages have survived for centuries. However, with the increasing exploitation
of rainforest resources, the very survival of indigenous forest peoples is under threat.
Indigenous forest communities like this one in the Democratic
Republic of Congo have been protecting rainforests for
centuries. Cath Long/RFUK
Recent studies have shown that
indigenous cultures are
disappearing at an unprecedented
rate. It has been estimated that
3,000 languages, (approximately
half of the world’s languages) will
disappear in the next century.
Between 1900 and 1957 in Brazil
alone, indigenous cultures declined
from 230 to 87 by way of extinction.
If nothing is done to protect
indigenous peoples, their culture
and knowledge will disappear. It is
now well-known that the knowledge
of indigenous populations is of
great value to the rest of the human
race in regard to proper
management of forests as well as
life-saving medicines. A recent
study found that the majority of useful plant based drugs used by people in the West were in
prior use by indigenous communities.
In many areas where deforestation is taking place, the rights of indigenous peoples are not
being respected. They have suffered human rights abuses such as forced removal from their
land, exploitation, violence, discrimination and environmental pollution. These abuses of
basic human rights are against international laws. RFUK is campaigning to get the rights of
rainforest indigenous people recognised and protected.
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STABILISE THE CLIMATE
Rainforests stabilise the world’s climate by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
High levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere cause global warming. Destroying rainforests
– is the second largest cause of global warming. So as more and more trees are cut down
and burnt, the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases and contributes to the
“green house effect”.
Rainforests also help maintain the water cycle. Through evapo-transpiration, plants release
water into the atmosphere, important for cloud formation. As vegetation is reduced, so there
is little evapo-transpiration and therefore less water is released into the atmosphere for
recycling as rain. This can result in drier conditions in the areas affected.
HABITAT FOR PLANTS AND ANIMALS
Tropical rainforests are known for their rich biodiversity. This means that they have a far
greater number of different species of plants and animals than other natural habitats.
Of the estimated 30 million species, there is the fear that up to 50,000 species a year could
become extinct through rainforest destruction. Endangered species include mountain
gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, giant ant-eaters, hyacinth macaws, giant otters, the giant
Amazon River turtle, the Philippine eagle and jaguar.
Many species currently found in
tropical rainforests have not yet been
studied by scientists. It is quite likely
that many of them are of medical, as
well as of economic value, to
humankind. Such is the case of a
species of wild maize, recently
discovered in the forests of southcentral
Mexico. Its habitat was
threatened with destruction by small
farmers and commercial loggers. This
wild maize offers resistance to four
diseases which cause at least 1% loss
to the world’s maize harvest each
year, worth more than $500 million.
Rare and endangered species like these bonobos inhabit
the Congolese rainforests. Cath Long/RFUK
As for animals, a tropical forest
species, the African green monkey,
has a natural resistance to the AIDS
virus. Recent studies carried out on
the monkey has provided some clues
that could help researchers develop a
vaccine to cure the disease.
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SOURCE OF MEDICINES
Tropical forest species contribute to our health needs.
On average, one out of four medicines available on prescription – whether antibiotic,
tranquilliser, laxative, or contraceptive pills, owes its origin to ingredients found in tropical
rainforest plant species. Drugs obtained from rainforest plants are used to treat a number of
diseases, such as cancer, malaria, heart disease, bronchitis, dysentery and tuberculosis.
Some examples are:
• A drug which is obtained from the Rosy Periwinkle, a plant which only grows in
the rainforest of Madagascar, is used to treat certain forms of leukaemia;
• The bark of Cinchona trees is used in the treatment of malaria;
• The Mexican yam, Dioscorea, is used in the manufacture of many steroidal drugs
currently in use, including the birth control pill.
SOURCE OF FOODS
Many products that we consume at home
come from the rainforests. These include:
• Spices (black pepper,
cardamom, chilli, cinnamon,
clove, ginger, nutmeg,
turmeric and vanilla)
• Nuts (Brazil nuts, macadamia,
cashew and peanuts)
• Fruits and vegetables
(avocadoes, papayas, limes,
mangoes, passion fruit,
pineapples, guavas,
grapefruit, coconut, sweet
potatoes, okra, tapioca and
sago)
Caterpillars are a vital source of food for rainforest
communities. ©Filip Verbelen
Many indigenous peoples depend on wild
foods as part of their diet. Caterpillars are
a valuable source of protein for many
people in the Congo Basin. Other foods
such as wild plants, bushmeat, fish and
honey are also eaten.
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SOURCE OF OTHER FOREST PRODUCTS
Plant products
Many industrial benefits are obtained from tropical forests species. Products like essential
oils can be used in shampoo, soap, perfume, incense, cough drops, make-up, flavourings
and drinks. Gums and resins are used to make products like chewing gum, Wellington boots,
paints, adhesives and varnishes.
Non-timber products
Aside from foods and medicines, tropical rainforests are also rich in non-timber products
such as bamboo, rattan, and natural fibres like jute, sisal and ramie used in the production
of furniture, floor coverings, baskets, bags, rope and clothing. Non-timber forest products
provide a wealth of resources for both rural and urban dwellers in rainforest areas.
Wood products
Hardwoods from the rainforests, such as teak, mahogany, rosewood, balsa, sandalwood, and
sapele are used for many purposes. These range from furniture, window sills, doorframes,
flooring, toys and kitchen utensils. As logging remains one of the major causes of
deforestation, consumers should ensure that the timber they use comes from sustainably
managed sources and not rainforests.
STRATA OF TROPICAL RAINFORESTS
Scientists divide the rainforests into different
strata (or zones). These strata differ in many
ways including temperature, the amount of
sunlight that they receive, the wetness of the
environment, and the amount and types of life
forms living in it.
Starting from the top four major zones can be
identified and these are:
EMERGENTS
The emergent zone lies at the very top of the
rainforest trees. The tallest trees in the
rainforest are usually over 50 metres high. It
is the habitat for many birds and insects.
CANOPY
The canopy is the name given to the upper
parts of the trees (about 20 to 40 metres tall).
Rainforests are divided into four different strata.
© www.rainforestplace.com
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It consists of a sea of leaves blocking out the sunlight preventing it from reaching the lower
layers. The canopy contains over 50% of the rainforests’ wildlife. This include birds (like the
scarlet macaw, the cuckoo, and the hornbill), mammals (like the howler monkey, and the
orangutan) and reptiles (like snakes and lizards).
Plants in the canopy include thick, snake-like vines and epiphytes (like mosses, lichens, and
orchids) which grow on trees in search of the sunlight.
UNDERSTORY
The understory is a dark, cool environment that is under the leaves but over the ground. This
part of the rainforest has so little light that plant growth is severely limited. There are short,
leafy, mostly non-flowering shrubs, small trees, ferns, and vines (lianas) that have adapted to
filtered light and poor soil. Examples of
plants include ferns, palms, philodendrons
and heliconias. Animals that live in the
under story include insects (like beetles
and bees), arachnids, snakes, lizards, and
small mammals (like the kinkajou) that
live on tree bark. Larger animals like
jaguars spend a lot of time on branches in
the understory, surveying the area, looking
for prey.
FOREST FLOOR
Rainforest trees are often over 50 metres high.
Kath Cochrane/RFUK
The forest floor is usually dark and damp.
It contains a layer called litter which
consists of rotting tree branches, leaves
and dead animals. This decomposes
rapidly to form a thin layer on the forests
floor called humus, which is rich in
nutrients. This zone of the rainforest is
teeming with animal life, especially insects
and arachnids (like tarantulas). People
and the largest animals in the rainforests
generally live here, including gorillas,
anteaters, wild boars, tapirs and jaguars.
HOW HAS THE VEGETATION ADAPTED TO THE CLIMATE?
In tropical rainforests most trees have wide buttress roots. This provides support as the trees
grow very tall in their search for sunlight. Lianas, (long woody climbing vines), grow around
trees as they reach for the light. The leaves of many trees are waxy and have drip tips to
allow water to run off them (so that water does not gather on the leaves and cause them to
rot, it also allows water to reach the roots on the forest floor). Leaf stems are also flexible to
allow leaves to move with the sun to maximise photosynthesis.
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RAINFOREST DESTRUCTION
HOW FAST IS IT HAPPENING?
Much has been done to
protect the world’s
rainforests, but destruction
still continues on a large
scale. Every minute 50 acres
of rainforest is destroyed --
an area the size of England
and Wales is lost every year.
Deforestation is forcing
indigenous forest
communities out of
rainforests; and plants and
animals that used to live in
them have either become
extinct or must find a new
habitat.
Every minute 50 acres of rainforest is destroyed. Cath Long/RFUK
WHERE IS DEFORESTATION TAKING PLACE?
The Rainforest Foundation works in the regions most affected by rainforest destruction:
South America
The Amazon region covers about six million square kilometres, including most of Brazil and
parts of French Guiana, Surinam, Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia.
It is inhabited by 1 million indigenous people who depend on a healthy forest for their
survival. Ecuador is believed to have the highest deforestation rate in South America. Latest
statistics show that it is losing 45,000 hectares annually. Between 2002 and 2003, the
Amazon forest lost an area almost half the size of Switzerland.
West and Central Africa
The Central African rainforests are the second largest after Amazonia, covering more than
one million square kilometres, an area twice the size of France. However, these forests are
shrinking because of logging, mining, clearance for agriculture and settlement. It is
estimated that every year 10,000 sq km -- an area the size of Jamaica – are destroyed in the
Congo Basin alone. Proposed logging in the Congo’s rainforest would affect up to 37 million
people --70% of DRC’s population depend on the forests for at least part of their livelihoods.
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Indonesia
Indonesia contains the third largest area of rainforest in the world along with lots of natural
resources including large oil and natural gas reserves and mineral deposits such as gold.
Recently the country has been through rapid political and economic changes. It is under
increasing international pressure to speed up the exploitation of the natural resources in
order to solve the country’s growing economic problems. However, large scale farming,
plantations, mining and energy projects have brought few benefits to indigenous people who
have been forced off their land.
WHY IS DEFORESTATION TAKING PLACE?
Humans are the main cause of
deforestation.
Forests are being cut down for many
reasons:
• wood for timber and for
domestic uses
• farming
• road construction
• settlement
• mining
• oil exploration
• hydro-electric power
Industrial logging deprives forest communities of their homes,
livelihoods and cultures. © Filip Verbelen
Wood for timber and domestic uses
One of the main causes of rainforest destruction is logging. Many types of hardwood (such as
mahogany, sapele and lauan) used for furniture, flooring and construction, are harvested
from tropical forests in Africa, South East Asia and South America. Most of this timber is
exported to the industrialised countries of the world. Countries like Japan and Britain are
major importers of tropical hardwoods.
Although loggers often select the most valuable trees and leave the rest, it is still very
damaging to rainforests. Large trees are cut down and dragged through the forest, while
access roads open up more forest lands to agriculture for poor farmers. In Africa, logging
workers often rely on “bushmeat” for protein. They hunt wildlife like gorillas, deer and
chimpanzees for food.
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Land for farming
Every year large areas
of rainforests are
converted into
farmland by
commercial and
subsistence farmers.
Commercial farmers
clear the land to set up
huge banana and oilpalm
plantations. In
the Amazon, for
instance, large parts of
the rainforests are
being converted into
soybean farms.
Swatches of the Amazon rainforest have been wiped out by soybean farms.
Subsistence farmers in many parts of the world depend on rainforests to feed their families.
Using the ‘slash-and-burn’ method of cultivation, they clear parts of the rainforest and farm it
for a few years. After the land has lost its fertility they move on to a new patch of forest. This
was once a sustainable method of farming, since the land had time to recover. However,
today with the increase in population it is having a destructive impact on rainforests.
In Central and South America, rainforests are cleared to set up cattle ranches to produce
beef for local consumption and also for export. In Central America, two-thirds of lowland
tropical forests have been turned into pasture since 1950. Cattle-ranching has turned Brazil
into a major exporter of beef. Besides raising cattle for food, many landowners, particularly
in Brazil, use cattle to increase the size of their farms. By simply placing cattle on an area of
forest land, farmers can gain ownership rights to that land.
Road construction
Road and highway construction in the
rainforest opens up large areas for
development. In Brazil, the Trans-
Amazonian Highway has allowed easy
access to the Amazon forest. This has
resulted in the destruction of huge
areas of the forest by poor settlers
and loggers. In Africa, logging roads
give access to poachers who hunt
endangered wildlife.
Industrial logging is one of the biggest threats to rainforests worldwide.
Rosemary Brown/RFUK
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Land for settlement
The populations in many developing countries
are increasing very fast and their
governments want to build settlements in the
rainforest. Trees have to be cut down to make
space. For example, in Brazil, the government
has cleared large parts of the Amazon
Rainforest and encouraged landless people to
move there. The project has not been
successful. Farmers stay on the same land
and attempt to farm it year after year. The soil
becomes infertile and nothing will grow.
Rainforest destruction in Brazil ©Sue Cunningham
Mining
Some areas of the rainforest are rich in minerals such as gold, silver, iron ore, bauxite,
copper and zinc. The exploitation of these minerals can benefit many poor countries as it
helps them to pay their foreign debts. However, it has also resulted in the destruction of large
parts of the rainforests to make way for roads and mines. Certain chemicals, such as
mercury (used in gold mining) have contaminated rivers.
Oil exploration
Many rainforest areas of the world, particularly in South America and Africa, contain huge oil
deposits. Underground tests carried out to locate the oil disturbs wildlife, and the cutting of
tracks and routes for oil pipelines allows access to people wishing to clear and destroy the
forests. Oil can contaminate the rivers and the soil. In 25 years of oil exploration in
Ecuadorian Amazonia, it is estimated that 16.8m gallons of crude oil have leaked out of the
oil pipelines.
Hydroelectric power
The abundance of rainfall and the existence of large rivers in tropical rainforests has led to
the development of hydroelectric power stations. The building of huge dams with large
reservoirs has meant that large areas of land have been flooded resulting in the destruction
of the ecosystem.
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WHAT ARE THE RESULTS OF TROPICAL DEFORESTATION?
Tropical deforestation has a devastating impact on both the global and local environment:
Global: Global Warming
Deforestation is the second largest cause of global warming. Rainforest canopies absorb
carbon dioxide. When the rainforests are burned and cleared, the carbon is released. When
trees are cut down they can no longer absorb carbon dioxide. This means that there is more
carbon dioxide, and carbon dioxide allows heat to travel through the atmosphere. However, it
will not allow reflected energy to escape from the atmosphere. This is called the greenhouse
effect and causes global warming.
Local: Effects on rainforest communities, ecosystem loss and soil erosion
• Destruction of the indigenous communities and their way of life.
Rainforest communities are often the last to know that their
lands have been assigned to logging companies. © Filip Verbelen
• About 80% of nutrients
that nourish rainforests
come from trees and
plants. The remaining
20% is in the soil. The
nutrients from the leaves
that fall are recycled back
into the trees and plants.
When a rainforest is
cleared, conditions
change very quickly.
The soil dries up in the
sun and when the rain
comes, it washes the soil
away. The rainforest
never fully recovers.
Wildlife and plant life is
reduced. Biodiversity is
lost. Soil erosion also
leads to flooding as the
soil is deposited on the
river beds.
WHO IS TO BLAME FOR TROPICAL DEFORESTATION?
Everybody who in one way or the other depends on the rainforest shares the responsibility for
its destruction. Local and national governments, poor farmers, multinational companies,
commercial farmers, development agencies, logging companies and consumers all share the
blame.
• In many parts of the tropical rainforest, small farmers have been forced off their
land into poorer forest areas by commercial farmers.
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• Multinational oil, mining, and timber companies pay little attention to the call for
them to exploit the resources of the rainforest in a sustainable way.
• The governments of Less Economically Developed Countries (LEDCs) on the other
hand, have not forced multinationals to respect their laws because they do not
want to scare them away. They need to earn money to pay for the huge debts that
they owe to More Economically Developed Countries (MEDCs).
• International organisations concerned with development, such as the World Bank
and the European Commission have funded projects which have led to the
destruction of the rainforests.
• Consumers. Many products that we buy contribute to rainforest loss, for example
furniture made from tropical hardwoods like mahogany and sapele. The bananas
that we consume come from plantations often located in areas that were once
tropical rainforests.
ABOUT THE RAINFOREST FOUNDATION UK
Our mission
The Rainforest Foundation UK believes that the long-term protection of rainforests is linked
with the rights of people living in those forests to land, food, shelter and medicines.
The mission of RFUK is “to provide support to indigenous people and traditional populations
inhabiting the world’s rainforests in their effort to protect their environment and fulfil their
rights to land, life and livelihood.
Our work
The Rainforest Foundation UK works in partnership with local rainforest communities and
non-governmental organisations.
Locally, we assist communities to:
• Secure their land
• Continue to protect and manage their environment
• Develop sustainable livelihoods
Internationally we work to influence and change government policy and practices that
undermine indigenous peoples’ rights and lead to further destruction of the rainforests.
Founded in 1989, the Rainforest Foundation UK is one of three sister organisations
(Rainforest Foundation US; Rainforest Foundation Norway) working in 16 countries. RFUK
works in the Congo Basin countries of Central Africa as well as in the Peruvian and
Colombian Amazon.
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The total area of land saved and protected for indigenous peoples with the help of the
Rainforest Foundation is 116,485 sq km. Plans are underway to protect a further 999,131
sq km of rainforest – an area greater than the combined size of France, UK and Ireland.
Where we work
Rainforest Foundation UK Rainforest Foundation US Rainforest Foundation
Norway
Peru Surinam Peru
Colombia Ecuador Brazil
Democratic Republic of Brazil
Paraguay
Congo (DRC)
Congo Brazzaville Guyana Bolivia
Cameroon Peru DRC
Gabon
Uganda
Central African Republic
Indonesia
Malaysia
Papua New Guinea
RAINFOREST FOUNDATION UK AT WORK
Rainforest Foundation UK Projects – case studies in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Peru
and Cameroon.
Case Study 1: The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
DRC is home to the second largest rainforest in the world. Currently the government controls
and manages all the forest lands in the country. Some traditional customary rights of the
indigenous population are recognised locally, however, the economic interest of the state
often takes priority, preventing these communities access to their land and resources.
What are the threats to the rainforest in DRC?
Unlike the rainforests of the Amazon and Borneo, the forests of DRC have not been largely
affected by human destruction. But as the country begins reconstruction after many years of
war, the forests are coming under a lot of pressure.
already been handed out to commercial loggers. A total of 600,000 sq km – an area the size
of France -- is at risk. Many indigenous communities who had lived there for centuries, such
as Batwa ‘Pygmies’ were not consulted or even informed that their lands had been sold out
from underneath them by the government.
15

What RFUK is doing to protect DRC’s forests
The Congolese Government is putting
together a national plan using satellite maps
to determine whether land will be used for
conservation, commercial logging or
community use. This is being done without
consulting forest communities. RFUK -- along
with 25 local partner organisations -- is
working with more than 100 forest
communities across DRC to create maps of
their own land. So far about 3,000 sq km
has been mapped and a further 60,000 sq
km of indigenous rainforest land will be
mapped by 2009. These maps will be used
as a tool by indigenous communities to show
their presence in the rainforest so they can
obtain land rights.
Indigenous communities are creating maps like this
showing their presence in the rainforest as a first
step towards gaining land rights.
RFUK, in coordination with local partner
organisations, has helped forest
communities to investigate and report on the
human rights abuses they suffer at the
hands of logging companies.
Indigenous peoples’ views are at last being heard in national and international debates
following RFUK’s work with local organisations in DRC. The World Bank is reconsidering its
strategy for ‘developing’ Congo’s rainforests after representatives of indigenous forest
groups challenged its destructive policies. As a result, in 2007, the World Bank agreed for
the first-time ever to consult Congo’s forest communities on the use of their rainforest lands.
Case Study 2: Cameroon
Cameroon has 16 million hectares of tropical rainforest which contains some of the richest
biodiversity in the world. The country loses 1,000-2,000 sq km of rainforest every year.
What are the threats to Cameroon’s rainforests?
Commercial logging is the main threat to Cameroon’s rainforests. The country has an
expanding timber industry which operates by selectively ‘harvesting’ areas of the rainforest.
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for a small number of hardwood species, especially sapele and utile. Most of the timber
felled is exported to Europe. The country’s reliance on the timber trade has increased, thus
putting more pressure on the rainforest.
Deforestation is threatening the very
existence of some indigenous
communities such as the Baka, Bagyeli
and Bakola ‘Pygmies’. Many ‘Pygmy’
people are denied basic rights of
citizenship. They do not possess identity
papers, which mean that they cannot
vote or have access to essential
services like health care and education.
Their traditional chiefs are not
recognised by the government and their
use of the forest is not recognised in
Cameroonian law.
Rainforest destruction in Cameroon is threatening the
existence of forest communities like the Baka ‘Pygmys.’
Rosemary Brown/RFUK
What is RFUK doing to save Cameroon’s rainforests?
RFUK believes that the long-term protection of rainforests is strongly linked with the basic
human rights of the peoples living in those forests. In Cameroon, projects assist ‘Pygmy’
peoples to achieve greater social and economic independence by promoting their rights. The
projects all include basic training about civil rights, how to obtain official documentation such
as birth certificates and national identity cards, and how to use them. RFUK supports the
development of local enterprises and community saving schemes, strengthening Baka
community organisations, and promoting local culture.
RFUK is also working to assist local communities in protecting the remaining undamaged
rainforest in the area, by improving agricultural techniques, training, and the development of
community forestry. The establishment of legally-recognised Community Forests enables
local people to manage and control their forests, and will deter logging.
Mapping of forest ‘territories’ by Baka communities can demonstrate their long-term use of
forest resources and presence in areas used for other, possibly conflicting, purposes such as
commercial logging. RFUK supports participatory mapping by Baka people of the forests
surrounding their settlements, which have traditionally been used for hunting and gathering.
The community maps produced by communities in Djoum, Southern Cameroon, were the first
that have ever been produced by indigenous peoples in a central African country.
The Community Legal Field Workers in Cameroon are providing advice and training to forest
communities on issues such as the prevention of illegal logging, establishing community
forests, and ensuring that revenues from forest exploitation are returned to forest
communities and spent on village development projects. They have also helped pioneering
work in the official recognition of ‘Pygmy’ traditional chieftains and land rights.
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Case Study 3: Peru
What are the threats to Peru’s rainforests?
The Asháninka and Machiguenga peoples have
lived in and protected the fragile Peruvian
rainforest for the last 3,000 years. Their home is
currently under threat by logging, oil and gas
exploration, roads, illegal cocoa farms and the
invasion of settlers.
Some 70% of the Peruvian Amazon is currently
slated for oil exploration.
What RFUK is doing to save Peru’s rainforests?
Since 1998, RFUK has been working with local
partner ACPC to help local forest communities
demarcate their lands and gain legal protection
for them. To date, 1 million hectares of rainforest
lands have been protected in indigenous
reserves and a new national park.
Asháninka peoples have lived in and protected
Peru’s Amazon rainforest for centuries. ©Jaime
Pena
RFUK is working alongside the Asháninka and
Machiguenga peoples to help them plan for
themselves how their lands will be used, provide
skills on defending themselves against timber
companies and encourage them to have a role in
the management of the new national park.
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RAINFORESTS: TWENTY THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
1. Rainforests once covered 14% of the earth’s land surface; now they cover about 6%.
2. The largest area of rainforest in the world is found in South America (45%), followed
by Africa (30%), Southeast Asia (16%), and Australia (9%).
3. The Congo Basin contains the second largest rainforest on the planet after the
Amazon.
4. Rainforests produce about 40% of the world’s oxygen .
5. 50 acres of rainforest are lost every minute.
6. Around 150,000 sq km of the tropical rainforest, equivalent to the size of England
and Wales, is destroyed every year.
7. In the 19 years since it’s founding in 1989, the Rainforest Foundation has protected
116,485,000 square km.
PEOPLE
8. As many as 500 million people in tropical rainforests depend directly or indirectly on
the forests for wild food resources, fresh water, building materials and natural
medicines.
9. 50 million have their homes in the rainforest.
10. 80% of the world’s poorest people depend on the rainforest.
NATURE
11. Rainforests contain about two-thirds of the world’s wildlife species.
12. 50,000 wildlife species a year become extinct because of rainforest destruction.
13. Tropical rainforests are the Earth’s oldest ecosystems. Within a four mile square area
of a tropical rainforest, you would find:
a. Over 750 species of trees
b. 1500 different kinds of flowering plants
c. 125 species of mammals
d. 400 species of birds
e. 100 reptiles
f. 60 amphibians
g. Countless insects
h. 150 species of butterflies
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SCIENCE
14. Rainforests contain ingredients for medicines. An estimated one in four
pharmaceuticals comes from tropical rainforest plants.
15. While 25% of Western pharmaceuticals are obtained from rainforest ingredients, less
than 1% of tropical plants have been tested by scientists.
16. The U.S. National Cancer Institute has identified 3,000 plants that have the potential
to cure cancer and 70% of these plants are found in the rainforest. Some 25% of the
active ingredients in today’s cancer-fighting drugs come from organisms found only in
the rainforest.
CLIMATE
17. Rainforest destruction is the second largest cause of global warming.
18. Deforestation creates more CO2 than all the cars, planes, trains and vehicles on
Earth.
19. Saving rainforests is one of the quickest and cheapest ways to help stop climate
change.
20. If deforestation continues at the current rate, there will be no more rainforests by
2050.
TEACHING AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES
1. Field work: Investigating a forest in your local area.
Organise a class visit to a forest in your local area. Get students to identify and record the
type of vegetation/animal species found there. Ask students to record any evidence of
human activities taking place there (if there is any) for example, logging, farming and
conservation work. Draw a labelled diagram of a cross-section of the forest. Back in the
classroom students can discuss their findings.
Ask students how rainforests are different from the forest you visited in your local area. Ask
them to describe what a tropical rainforest looks like. Where would you find one? What
animals, birds and other creatures would you find there? What would it sound like? Who are
the people that live there? Write students responses on a chart.
2. Brainstorming activity: at home in the rainforest
Ask students to bring different household things that originate from the rainforest, for
example coffee, bananas and cinnamon. Encourage discussion about the importance of
rainforests to them as consumers.
3. Improve your vocabulary
Below is a list of key terms associated with the rainforest, find a suitable definition for each
one of them: rainforest, biodiversity, species, ecosystem, indigenous, canopy, deforestation,
emergent, endangered, equator, evaporation, extinct, greenhouse effect, global warming,
logging, humus, nutrients, food web, understory, strata. Use the new vocabulary in the
activities that follow.
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4. Story writing
Show the class a photograph of the rainforest. Ask the students to imagine what it would be
like to live in the rainforest and ask them to write a story. You could ask them to imagine they
are being forced off their lands by loggers and how they would feel.
5. Group work
Divide the class into groups. Ask each group to choose an indigenous group living in a
rainforest area (Baka, Bagyeli, Batwa, Asháninka etc.)Using the library and the internet, find
out:
• Where they live
• The kind of dress they wear (including jewellery)
• Their everyday activities
• Their diet
• The language they speak
• What types of human activities pose a threat to the existence of their indigenous
group?
• List five ways in which indigenous peoples use the rainforest
Invite the students to make a collage with pictures and descriptions of their indigenous
group.
6. Rainforest Book
Ask students to compile pictures of animals and plants that live in the rainforests. Use the
pictures to make a rainforest book for the class. Students can add short notes on the
animals and plants. This can be discussed in class.
7. Making a face-mask
Students can draw masks of different animals living in the rainforest. They then cut out the
mask and colour it. Elastic or ribbon will be needed to attach the mask onto the face. The
students can wear the mask to act out a role-play.
8. Rainforest under threat
Look at the photographs showing various human activities that pose a threat to the tropical
rainforests in various parts of the world. Identify those activities. Using the ideas, information
from the pack and other sources of information, write an article explaining to the general
public the harmful effects that those activities can have on the tropical rainforests.
9. Creative Writing
a. Write a letter to the Prime Minister asking him what he is doing to help save rainforests.
The Prime Minister, 10 Downing Street, London, SW1A 2AA
b. Write a song or a poem about the rainforest.
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10. The rainforest food web
Divide the class into groups. Ask each group to choose a rainforest animal. Find out which
other animals are linked to your animal food chain. Draw those animals on cards. Using
coloured pencils draw lines to link the different organisms together. All of this is put on a
chart and link them with one another until you get a large rainforest food web showing how
all the organisms are dependent on each other. Ask the students what will happen if one of
the pieces goes missing. You can do this by crossing out one organism then rubbing out the
lines linked to that organism, then all the lines linked to those organisms and so on.
11. Making a model. Using recyclable materials ask students to make a model of the
rainforest. The model should include the zones, plants, animals, and people that live there.
12. In groups ask students to brainstorm on what they can do to save the rainforests. They
can illustrate their actions on a spider diagram, which can be hung up on the wall of the
classroom.
13. Ask students to draw up a charter for the future of the world’s rainforests. It should
include at least five ideas that will ensure the world’s forests survive for future generations.
Present your charter to the Rainforest Foundation UK. Your ideas may be incorporated on the
organisation’s website.
14. Trace a map of the world from an atlas. Mark and label the following lines:
a. Equator b. Tropic of Cancer c. Tropic of Capricorn. On the map, shade in the main areas
where tropical rainforests are found.
15. Draw a diagram of the rainforest strata. Label the state and make your own brief notes
about the different zones found in rainforests.
ACTIVITIES WITH THE RAINFOREST FOUNDATION UK
16. Rainforest map: On a large blank wall map of the world get students to shade all the
countries where the Rainforest Foundation works.
17. Rainforest leaflet: Explain to students that Rainforest Foundation UK needs leaflets to
raise awareness of the threats to the world’s tropical rainforests. Ask students to design one
(refer to information in this pack and RFUK’s website).
18. Brainstorm ideas about actions that people and governments can take to protect the
rainforests of the world. Display your ideas on a tree collage on the classroom wall.
19. Role play. Organise a debate on the topic, “whose responsibility is it to save the
rainforest?” Split students into groups and assign each group a role, for instance, the logging
and mining companies, activists of the Rainforest Foundation UK, representatives of
indigenous community, farmers, conservationist, government representative and expert on
climatic change. Based on its role each group has to build its own case. After discussion, ask
a spokesperson from each group to present the group’s case. After all the viewpoints have
been presented, ask the class to vote on the issue.
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HELP THE RAINFOREST FOUNDATION UK SAVE THE WORLD’S RAINFORESTS!
The Rainforest Foundation UK works with indigenous peoples, helping them to protect the
rainforest land they have lived on for generations. RFUK also helps to raise international
awareness of rainforest destruction, so that we can all prevent it from happening -- and you
can help.
There are loads of fun ways that you can get involved in helping to save rainforests and
raising funds to support RFUK’s work. Learn more by visiting
www.rainforestfoundationuk.org.
Write letters
Letters in newspapers can be a very effective way of raising awareness to the general public.
They can also help politicians understand that people care about these issues. Write to your
local and national newspapers. Check their websites for the email address for reader’s
letters or letters to the editor. The more publicity there is about rainforest destruction -- the
better -- and more pressure it puts on those in power to act.
You can also write to your local MP and the Prime Minister.
Hold a Rainforest Day
Select a country where Rainforest Foundation UK works. You can organise an exhibition on
that country, prepare their food, play their music, sing their songs, perform a play or even
dances, and recite poetry that you have written on the rainforest. Sell tickets and invite
parents, families and friends to marvel at the magic!
Get yourself sponsored
You can do a sponsored run, walk, swim, bike ride, jog, hop, three-legged race, book read,
skip, ramble, football match, dance, silence - in fact, you can do a sponsored anything as
long as it is safe and you have permission! It can be more fun and if you get a group together.
Rainforest Bake-Off!
Cake sales are always a popular way of raising funds. Why not
make some rainforest-themed cakes such as banana cake and
pineapple cake and sell them to your friends and classmates.
Green Fashion Show
Why not organise a “Green Fashion Show” and use recycled
materials to make the clothes. Have prizes for the group that
comes up with the best collection of recycled rainforest
garments. To raise money you can charge a small fee for
people coming to watch the show.
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Bring and buy
You can get your classmates to bring products from the rainforests like nuts and fruits which
you can sell to raise money. Also if you have loads of books, DVDs or games which you will
not use again, you can sell them and help raise fund to support RFUK. You can also organise
a charity request where students pay a small fee to hear their favourite song.
Inter - Class Quiz Competition on rainforests
Your school can organise an inter-class quiz competition on the topic “Rainforest”. Each
participating team will have to pay a registration fee and the money collected will help to
support the work being done by RFUK. Gather your questions from the RFUK education pack.
Run Forest, Run!
Run for the Rainforest! Why not turn your next
athletics day into a day of running for the
rainforest – get sponsored to compete
dressed as a rainforest animal or tree, or hold
a special rainforest sponsored run and ask all
runners to raise sponsorship to help save the
rainforest.
Make RFUK Your School’s ‘Charity of the Year’
Why not nominate the Rainforest Foundation UK as charity of the year for your school? We
can provide some information and materials.
Send us your posters, photos, stories or leaflets and we might post them on our website.
You can donate by sending a cheque made payable to the Rainforest Foundation UK at:
The Rainforest Foundation UK
Imperial Works, 2 nd Floor
Perren Street
London, NW5 3ED
You can also donate on-line through our website: www.rainforestfoundationuk.org.
Registered charity No. 801436
The Rainforest Foundation UK would like to thank Martial Moumou (writer) and Ann Barnett (editor) for
their contributions to this education pack.
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